Electrifying Currents
by Extika
Summary: When the Poof occurred, Dani and Simon were just two classmates on a school camping trip. As they make their way to the nearest city, Perdido Beach, numerous dangers challenge the two, starting with a monster bear. Will they be able to survive in this new and deadly world called "the FAYZ"?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the _Gone _characters or settings in this, only the oc's.**

**Warning: Minor(?) blood and violence in this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 1

When the adults disappeared, Danielle 'Dani' Sparks and Simon Hertz were on a school trip to the Stefano Rey National Park for a camping expedition with their eighth grade class. Of course, no one knew that _all _of the adults disappeared. At first, several of them believed that their adult chaperones were playing a joke on them, albeit a creepy one. They were, after all, telling scary stories around a campfire in a clichéd manner. But when the night came and went without any sort of a sign from the adults, _that's _when the students got worried.

So they all huddled in the clearing, scared witless. A few attempted to raise spirits by telling jokes, but the punch lines often fell flat. A roar of an angry beast, probably a bear, echoed in the distance, causing a flock of birds to flutter out of the trees. Hours passed, and the children became restless. Short attention spans didn't really help when it came to 'apocalyptic' settings.

"I'll go out and check for any adults," Simon offered quietly. He was one of the few who didn't seem as bothered by this situation. He adjusted his glasses and shook his hair slightly by impulse when he received numerous stares from the others. They clearly thought he was crazy to go alone. The most glaring gaze came from Dani, a girl he didn't really know well but recognized due to her overuse of tanning spray and makeup.

Dani thought Simon, the class's 'quiet one', was being foolish. Self-consciously, she checked herself in her pocket mirror for any blemishes in her copper-toned skin. Her lipstick was wearing down, and she cursed herself for not being able to keep up the 'ganguro' look. Doing her makeup was her way of showing fear. Yet unlike most of the others, she didn't really mind that the adults were gone. No one would be there to scold her for her 'unbecoming' looks and such. Of course, there were others in her class who did the same…

"I'll go with you," Dani added swiftly. She got to her feet, straightening her blue-and-white-striped crop top and dusted off her tan cargo pants. Adjusting her orange newsboy cap, she placed a hand on her hip. Now it was Simon's turn to stare at her confusedly. He shrugged his shoulders. Picking up his backpack filled with the extra change of clothes and snacks, Simon led Dani out of the thicket and into the dense wood. The campfire and their classmates behind them slowly disappeared into the distance as the two followed the dirt path back to the Park's main building.

Dani spread her arms out and began to hum a tune from an anime series to lighten the mood, but it only served to grate on Simon's nerves. He notices her checking her makeup again and lost his patience.

"Why the hell are you so obsessed with tanning and that disgusting powder?" he questioned her.

"_Baka!_" she insulted him in Japanese, "this is an alternative form of expression called '_ganguro_' in Japan and began in Tokyo. It is not 'disgusting'. It is an art."

"So you _are _a Jap, then."

"I am not! I'm _Chinese_. I just happen to be an anime _otaku_!"

"A what?"

"A—oh forget it, you dummy!"

"Hmph! Whatever."

They continued walking in silence all the way to the Research Center. Except for the eerie silence surrounding the building, nothing seemed too out of place. Here and there, vehicles vibrated in neutral in the parking lot, as if their owners had got out and left. Without a word, Dani and Simon neared the wide glass doors of the wood-paneled building. Their hands rested on the two separate door handles tentatively.

"Think we should go in?" asked Simon.

"I dunno," Dani replied with a smirk. "_You're_ the one who wanted to come here. You decide."

Simon huffed in annoyance. He pulled open the door, not knowing what to expect. If he was waiting for a horde of zombies to ambush them, he was highly mistaken. Taking a deep breath, he entered with Dani glancing nervously around behind him.

"Scared, are you?" Simon sneered.

"Of course I am!" Dani cried grimly. Honestly, she wondered if this Simon guy had any feelings at all. "The adults went and disappeared, and you're acting like you don't even care! Honestly, what's wrong with you?"

Simon blinked at her, obviously not expecting that outburst. "'What's wrong with me'?" he spluttered. "All you ever do is do your makeup and complain! Why did you even follow me?"

"Dunno," answered Dani, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Simon nearly fell to the ground at the complete change in personality. "Anyways, what should we be looking for?"

Thinking for a moment, Simon replied, "Food, water, the basics. We should try the phones, too."

"_Wakatta!_" Dani replied, giving a mock salute. Simon rolled his eyes at the word he didn't understand. Maybe _otaku_ meant 'idiot'. He watched as Dani strutted to the stairway leading to a lower part of the building. "I'll start down here!"

Simon didn't reply but searched for the light controls. Finding them, he flipped them on, but none of them lit up. Shrugging, Simon moves to the center of the room where a physical map of the area. Tracing a finger across the raised surface, he noted that there was a town about fifteen miles away. If they walked quickly, it would probably take around four hours to reach 'Perdido Beach'. A town would mean people, hopefully, and the safety that came in numbers. He hoped.

Leaving the map section, Simon wandered around until he came to the cafeteria he and the others had eaten lunch at just the day before. He headed to where the kitchens might be. Each step he took echoed in the tiled room as Simon opened every cabinet, drawer, and refrigerator. All he found were a few packages of buns and sandwich meat, and some sodas and bottles of water – not enough to satisfy a bunch of teenagers. Still, Simon tossed his finds into a couple of plastic grocery bags lying around.

"Hey, Dani!" he shouted. "Find anything yet?" No answer. Shouldering is backpack and hanging the new bags from the crook of his arm, Simon left the dim room to meet up with Dani. Wandering past the walls lined with observation windows, he stopped at the foot of the stairs. He stared down into the basement. Abruptly, he realized the lights had turned on downstairs. "How is that possible?"

"Hey, Simon!" Dani's voice calls from below. "Get down here!"

Curious about how the lights turned on without any power, Simon hurried down the stairs to ask Dani. He found her near a back corner behind sedimentary displays where a couple phone booths were. It was an older version, a corded one, and Dani held the receiver up to her ear. Even from a few feet away, Simon could hear the dull dial tone. Dani had an uncharacteristically distressed expression. When she spotted Simon, however, a mask of annoyance took its spot.

"No answer, huh?" he asked.

"What do you think, _baka_?" she retorted.

"Speak English!"

"I tried calling my parents, the police, even the school. But no one picked up." She handed the boy the phone. "Here, you try."

Simon tentatively pressed the numbers of his home phone. Did he really want to know? What if they didn't pick up? What would that mean then? The machine rang for what seemed like an eternity. Even then, it didn't send him to voicemail. Simon hung up the phone looking grim. Just because they didn't pick up, didn't mean something was automatically wrong, right? It was the middle of the day; surely, his parents would be at work. But something else struck him as strange.

"No answer, huh?" Dani spoke up.

"How did you even get the phone to work?"

"Eh? What'dya mean?"

"I tried to flip the lights on upstairs," Simon told her, beginning to get annoyed at her supposed naivety, "but none of them did. Is there some sort of generator down here? How did you get the lights to turn on?"

Dani shrugged, her shiny pink lips curled into a smirk. "I dunno," she replied. She gestures to the bags in Simon's hands. "I'm guessin' you found something useful, hm?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "There's a town, Perdido Beach, about fifteen miles 'way. I'm thinking, if we started out at one later today, we could get there by ev'ning. There'll probably be others there. We should get back quickly and inform the others."

"So you really are the serious one," Dani remarked.

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"Of course I did, _baka_!"

Sighing, Simon readjusted his glasses with two fingers. "Then let's get back."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Within minutes, the duo are back on the trail leading out to the copse the students were camping out at. Once again, Dani hummed a tune, while Simon peered off into the distance, thinking. He wondered how this happened. Surely, at least their own parents would answer. The teachers, no matter how much they seemed to dislike the students, wouldn't go this far for a practical joke. Simon sighed for the umpteenth time. There was too much information that he didn't know yet, and there was nothing he could do but continue forward.

Dani, on the other hand, was containing her discomfort more inconspicuously. Sure, the situation worried her some, but she figured that everything would return to normal in the end. She'd been left alone on various occasions, so the quietness of the area didn't faze her. The only regret she had at the moment was that she hadn't brought enough manga to read. She abruptly stared at her hands. That power from earlier seemed to still linger in her palms. She thought she saw a green spark run down the lines in her hands, but it disappeared so quickly that she figured it was her imagination playing tricks.

Ten minutes later, they were closing in on the campsite when shrieks filled the air. In a flash, Dani took off. Despite her looks, she actually was capable of running fast. Simon called after her. He cursed under his breath when she didn't listen. He took off after her, dropping the bags, until he found her frozen at the edge of the clearing. The stench of iron and must filled his lungs, and he covered his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from gagging.

Before him, the campsite had become a warzone. Bodies, no, corpses lay strewn across the grass like trash in the park, all of them stained crimson with blood. Appendages lay torn off and bent in odd angles, none of which could ever have been considered normal. Upon further examination, Simon saw that their classmates' faces shone with tears and were frozen in a look of pure anguish. He heard a _thump!_ next to him and saw Dani had fallen to her knees, looking horrified. Simon wasn't faring much better.

"What the hell?" he whispered. Then his voice got louder. "What the hell? What the HELL? WHAT IN THE FREAKING HELL HAPPENED HERE?" Dani sure didn't have an answer for it. Every single one of their classmates was dead. Gone. A thought occurred to him. What were they supposed to do now?

Simon suddenly heard a rustle coming from the trees. Slowly, he said to Dani, "Hey, Dani, let's get outta here." That rustling noise became louder. "Dani?" Still no answer. The lurking creature came closer. "DANI!"

_RRRWAAARRRR_!

At the very moment that Simon shouted, a gigantic shadow leapt over him and into the clearing. Neither he nor Dani had any idea _what _it was, but regrouped tensely. Whatever the creature was, it was covered head to toe in brown fur matted with wet blood, still fresh. The two figured that this must've been the monster that mauled their classmates. Beady red eyes regarded them with the desire for fresh human flesh. A deathly aura seemed to surround it. Definitely not normal.

"What…_is _that thing?" whispered Dani. Simon didn't answer. He focused more on an escape plan at the moment. There was no way they could outrun the monster, nor could they fight it without some sort of a weapon. While he was thinking, the monster attacked. It sprung from the ground at him, sending dirt flying.

Simon heard Dani scream, breaking him out of his thoughts, only to be met with grimy fangs bared and breathing a terrible stench down on him as he lay flat on the ground. The creature loomed over him, front claws digging into Simon's abdomen. A drop of saliva dripped down on him as the monster snarled. Simon squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

And then, abruptly, the weight on his chest disappeared. Gripping a hand to his chest, Simon unsteadily got to his feet, vision blurry. A few feet away, he saw Dani cornered against a tree by the dark creature. However, a determined expression remained on her face. Dani placed her hands before her, one of the other, fingers like claws, and aimed at the monster. Right as it swung a meaty paw at her, green sparks zigzagged from her palms and straight into the monster's stomach. Roaring, it backed up, and, stumbling over its own two feet, crashed into the trees behind it. The force was so great that a fissure immediately ran up the side of the tree. It must have been scared witless from that showing, as the monster fled into the trees, smashing into the foliage along the way.

Simon stared at Dani, who just wiped her brow of sweat. The green lightning was gone, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. She could kill him in an instant if she wanted. Or was it just a trick of the light? Simon wondered about that. Nothing made any sense anymore.

"What's with that stupid-looking face, _baka_?" Dani asked as if nothing was wrong. Simon lost his cool exterior at that.

"What the fricken' hell was that?" he screamed. "You just shot frickin' laser beams from your hands! What the hell just happened?"

"Stop cussing!" Dani complained, blocking her ears with her hands. The same hands that had just shot lightning at a monster. She places her arms behind her head. "And anyway, it's not like I _wanted _these powers. They just kinda…showed up. And before you ask, I've only known since this morning, when we were at that building."

Then it clicked. "So you're the one who turned on the 'lectricity," Simon concluded. "But…lightning and electricity are on different levels. How're you able to manipulate those factors…?"

"You're pretty calm for seein' someone take on a monster."

"I've…never mind."

"Hm? What's that, _baka_?"

"Let's just say, I'm used to weird things happenin'," Simon said mysteriously.

"But you know," Dani continued seriously before changing her tone to excitement, "it's just like we're in a _shounen_ manga! This is _so_ cool!" She turned serious once again. Looking at the bodies, she shuddered. "But…what should we do about the others? I don't wanna just leave 'em here…"

Simon wondered about that too. Honestly, burying their classmates would only mean spending time and energy that could be used to find help. Yet, it didn't seem right to just leave them like that.

"I say we burn it," he replied softly. Dani stared at him questioningly. "It'll be like a cremation, I think. Besides, we…we don't have the time to bury them, and leaving them exposed…I don't want to imagine what wild animals would do…Think you could set a fire with that lightning of yours?"

Dani nodded in confirmation. "I think this's the most I've heard you talked this entire year, _baka_," she told him. She grinned grimly. "But yeah, I think I can do that. This…this will take some time. Help me move them closer to each other."

Together, Simon and Dani pushed, rolled, and carried the various appendages and bodies to the center of the clearing. It was needless to say they gagged and retched at both the sight of the mauled teens and rotten stench that hung heavily in the air. Simon said nothing when he noticed tears running down Dani's face. He had no idea how to comfort anyone, let alone a girl. After several long minutes, all of the former students and their 'pieces' had been piled neatly in the center of the thicket of trees.

Sighing, Dani walked over to one of the bodies before taking aim and sending a bright flash of green at it. The clothing sparked, and a flame soon appeared. It caught on the rest, setting it ablaze. The two watches as the flaming pile sent up a cloud of smoke and the waft of meat cooking. They nearly retched when they realized the stench of the flesh burning smelled similar to that of a steak. Dani placed her palms together, whispering words that Simon couldn't make out. The last phrase he caught:

"Rest in peace, everyone."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

They waited for hours as the fire eventually burned itself out before heading off. As they left, Simon grabbed the plastic bags, relieved that the food didn't look like it'd rotted. Silence once again overtook their surroundings, save for a few songs of birds and bugs. Simon liked the quiet – it gave him time to think. But to be honest, he couldn't think or plan or anything. His mind had gone blank after the cremation.

Dani glanced at Simon. The _megane_ boy had reverted to the quiet one that he'd been in school. She pondered over what he'd said earlier. _Let's just say, I'm used to weird things happenin'_. Did that mean he had powers like her? And how exactly did she get those powers in the first place? She grinned. What if she really _was_ in a manga? That would be so awesome in her book. She shook her head furiously. No, it wouldn't be any fun if everyone died. Clenching her fist tightly in determination, she decided on a goal: She would just have to make sure that no one died.

Eye twitching, Simon couldn't believe the number of emotions Dani's face could shift to in such a short amount of time. He realized then that he knew nothing of the girl. Seeing the flames of resolve burning in her eyes, however, he kept quiet.

"So where are we headed, _baka_?" Dani suddenly asked. The nickname she'd given Simon piqued his irritation. As did the makeup she was currently applying to her face.

"Quit callin' me that, will ya?" he growled. "What does that even mean, anyway? We're goin' to Perdido Beach. I told ya earlier, didn't I?

"Yeah, yeah," Dani replied.

They fell silent, listening to their own footsteps crunch the leaves and twigs under them. An hour passed, and Simon Dani reached the highway that would lead them straight to their destination. The whole expanse of dirt and sand of the horizon sizzled in the late afternoon light, and the asphalt path seemed to stretch on forever into the distance. It was clear that they wouldn't make it to the town by dark.

"Let's take a break, _baka-chan_," Dani said. She smirked at the new nickname she gave to Simon. He rolled his eyes. It didn't sound any less insulting than before.

"Fine," he replied shortly. Reaching into one of the plastic bags, he handed Dani the packages of bread and meat. She gratefully took it from him and made two sandwiches.

"You might as well eat as much as you'd like, Dani," Simon told her as she took a bite. "I'm not sure how much longer those'll last." Cue a spit take. Dani spewed the have eaten bite off to the side.

"What'dya mean by that?" she exclaimed. She glared at the sandwich. "You aren't saying it's already moldy, are you?" Simon snatched the bags from her before she could hurl it away. Then he began to make his own sandwiches.

"Think whatever you'd like," he told her. "But you never know when your next meal will be. For all we know, this could be our last meal."

"Can you be any more depressing?"

"Maybe." Simon smiled slyly. Then he scolded himself for being so close to this strange girl. He mentally slapped himself on the head for being so open. How he wished he could be emotionally detached from others like before. But this one, this _girl_, had somehow pulled him in, gotten him to talk more. He had to admit, though, he kind of liked her company.

"_Baka!_"

Then again, maybe not.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading this first chapter. If there were any discrepancies regarding the characters, scenes, or grammar, please tell me in the reviews. Advice is also appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

run down the lines in her hands, but it disappeared so quickly that she figured it was her imagination playing tricks.

Ten minutes later, they were closing in on the campsite when shrieks filled the air. In a flash, Dani took off. Despite her looks, she actually was capable of running fast. Simon called after her. He cursed under his breath when she didn't listen. He took off after her, dropping the bags, until he found her frozen at the edge of the clearing. The stench of iron and must filled his lungs, and he covered his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from gagging.

Before him, the campsite had become a warzone. Bodies, no, corpses lay strewn across the grass like trash in the park, all of them stained crimson with blood. Appendages lay torn off and bent in odd angles, none of which could ever have been considered normal. Upon further examination, Simon saw that their classmates' faces shone with tears and were frozen in a look of pure anguish. He heard a _thump!_ next to him and saw Dani had fallen to her knees, looking horrified. Simon wasn't faring much better.

"What the hell?" he whispered. Then his voice got louder. "What the hell? What the HELL? WHAT IN THE FREAKING HELL HAPPENED HERE?" Dani sure didn't have an answer for it. Every single one of their classmates was dead. Gone. A thought occurred to him. What were they supposed to do now?

Simon suddenly heard a rustle coming from the trees. Slowly, he said to Dani, "Hey, Dani, let's get outta here." That rustling noise became louder. "Dani?" Still no answer. The lurking creature came closer. "DANI!"

_RRRWAAARRRR_!

At the very moment that Simon shouted, a gigantic shadow leapt over him and into the clearing. Neither he nor Dani had any idea _what _it was, but regrouped tensely. Whatever the creature was, it was covered head to toe in brown fur matted with wet blood, still fresh. The two figured that this must've been the monster that mauled their classmates. Beady red eyes regarded them with the desire for fresh human flesh. A deathly aura seemed to surround it. Definitely not normal.

"What…_is _that thing?" whispered Dani. Simon didn't answer. He focused more on an escape plan at the moment. There was no way they could outrun the monster, nor could they fight it without some sort of a weapon. While he was thinking, the monster attacked. It sprung from the ground at him, sending dirt flying.

Simon heard Dani scream, breaking him out of his thoughts, only to be met with grimy fangs bared and breathing a terrible stench down on him as he lay flat on the ground. The creature loomed over him, front claws digging into Simon's abdomen. A drop of saliva dripped down on him as the monster snarled. Simon squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

And then, abruptly, the weight on his chest disappeared. Gripping a hand to his chest, Simon unsteadily got to his feet, vision blurry. A few feet away, he saw Dani cornered against a tree by the dark creature. However, a determined expression remained on her face. Dani placed her hands before her, one of the other, fingers like claws, and aimed at the monster. Right as it swung a meaty paw at her, green sparks zigzagged from her palms and straight into the monster's stomach. Roaring, it backed up, and, stumbling over its own two feet, crashed into the trees behind it. The force was so great that a fissure immediately ran up the side of the tree. It must have been scared witless from that showing, as the monster fled into the trees, smashing into the foliage along the way.

Simon stared at Dani, who just wiped her brow of sweat. The green lightning was gone, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. She could kill him in an instant if she wanted. Or was it just a trick of the light? Simon wondered about that. Nothing made any sense anymore.

"What's with that stupid-looking face, _baka_?" Dani asked as if nothing was wrong. Simon lost his cool exterior at that.

"What the fricken' hell was that?" he screamed. "You just shot frickin' laser beams from your hands! What the hell just happened?"

"Stop cussing!" Dani complained, blocking her ears with her hands. The same hands that had just shot lightning at a monster. She places her arms behind her head. "And anyway, it's not like I _wanted _these powers. They just kinda…showed up. And before you ask, I've only known since this morning, when we were at that building."

Then it clicked. "So you're the one who turned on the 'lectricity," Simon concluded. "But…lightning and electricity are on different levels. How're you able to manipulate those factors…?"

"You're pretty calm for seein' someone take on a monster."

"I've…never mind."

"Hm? What's that, _baka_?"

"Let's just say, I'm used to weird things happenin'," Simon said mysteriously.

"But you know," Dani continued seriously before changing her tone to excitement, "it's just like we're in a _shounen_ manga! This is _so_ cool!" She turned serious once again. Looking at the bodies, she shuddered. "But…what should we do about the others? I don't wanna just leave 'em here…"

Simon wondered about that too. Honestly, burying their classmates would only mean spending time and energy that could be used to find help. Yet, it didn't seem right to just leave them like that.

"I say we burn it," he replied softly. Dani stared at him questioningly. "It'll be like a cremation, I think. Besides, we…we don't have the time to bury them, and leaving them exposed…I don't want to imagine what wild animals would do…Think you could set a fire with that lightning of yours?"

Dani nodded in confirmation. "I think this's the most I've heard you talked this entire year, _baka_," she told him. She grinned grimly. "But yeah, I think I can do that. This…this will take some time. Help me move them closer to each other."

Together, Simon and Dani pushed, rolled, and carried the various appendages and bodies to the center of the clearing. It was needless to say they gagged and retched at both the sight of the mauled teens and rotten stench that hung heavily in the air. Simon said nothing when he noticed tears running down Dani's face. He had no idea how to comfort anyone, let alone a girl. After several long minutes, all of the former students and their 'pieces' had been piled neatly in the center of the thicket of trees.

Sighing, Dani walked over to one of the bodies before taking aim and sending a bright flash of green at it. The clothing sparked, and a flame soon appeared. It caught on the rest, setting it ablaze. The two watches as the flaming pile sent up a cloud of smoke and the waft of meat cooking. They nearly retched when they realized the stench of the flesh burning smelled similar to that of a steak. Dani placed her palms together, whispering words that Simon couldn't make out. The last phrase he caught:

"Rest in peace, everyone."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

They waited for hours as the fire eventually burned itself out before heading off. As they left, Simon grabbed the plastic bags, relieved that the food didn't look like it'd rotted. Silence once again overtook their surroundings, save for a few songs of birds and bugs. Simon liked the quiet – it gave him time to think. But to be honest, he couldn't think or plan or anything. His mind had gone blank after the cremation.

Dani glanced at Simon. The _megane_ boy had reverted to the quiet one that he'd been in school. She pondered over what he'd said earlier. _Let's just say, I'm used to weird things happenin'_. Did that mean he had powers like her? And how exactly did she get those powers in the first place? She grinned. What if she really _was_ in a manga? That would be so awesome in her book. She shook her head furiously. No, it wouldn't be any fun if everyone died. Clenching her fist tightly in determination, she decided on a goal: She would just have to make sure that no one died.

Eye twitching, Simon couldn't believe the number of emotions Dani's face could shift to in such a short amount of time. He realized then that he knew nothing of the girl. Seeing the flames of resolve burning in her eyes, however, he kept quiet.

"So where are we headed, _baka_?" Dani suddenly asked. The nickname she'd given Simon piqued his irritation. As did the makeup she was currently applying to her face.

"Quit callin' me that, will ya?" he growled. "What does that even mean, anyway? We're goin' to Perdido Beach. I told ya earlier, didn't I?

"Yeah, yeah," Dani replied.

They fell silent, listening to their own footsteps crunch the leaves and twigs under them. An hour passed, and Simon Dani reached the highway that would lead them straight to their destination. The whole expanse of dirt and sand of the horizon sizzled in the late afternoon light, and the asphalt path seemed to stretch on forever into the distance. It was clear that they wouldn't make it to the town by dark.

"Let's take a break, _baka-chan_," Dani said. She smirked at the new nickname she gave to Simon. He rolled his eyes. It didn't sound any less insulting than before.

"Fine," he replied shortly. Reaching into one of the plastic bags, he handed Dani the packages of bread and meat. She gratefully took it from him and made two sandwiches.

"You might as well eat as much as you'd like, Dani," Simon told her as she took a bite. "I'm not sure how much longer those'll last." Cue a spit take. Dani spewed the have eaten bite off to the side.

"What'dya mean by that?" she exclaimed. She glared at the sandwich. "You aren't saying it's already moldy, are you?" Simon snatched the bags from her before she could hurl it away. Then he began to make his own sandwiches.

"Think whatever you'd like," he told her. "But you never know when your next meal will be. For all we know, this could be our last meal."

"Can you be any more depressing?"

"Maybe." Simon smiled slyly. Then he scolded himself for being so close to this strange girl. He mentally slapped himself on the head for being so open. How he wished he could be emotionally detached from others like before. But this one, this _girl_, had somehow pulled him in, gotten him to talk more. He had to admit, though, he kind of liked her company.

**Disclaimer: _Gone_ characters and setting belongs to Michael Grant. OCs belong to me.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"H-hey, Dani, wake up."

"Hn…five more minutes, _okaa-san_."

"Dani, get up. There's trouble."

"Hn…I already did my homework, _okaa-san_."

"Just wake the hell up already!" Simon yelled into Dani's ear. Her eyes immediately snapped open, and she sat up in an instant. Groggily, she gazed at her surroundings. Her heart sank when she saw them. Dozens of emerald green snakes surrounded them, their forked tongues tasting the air, hissing. But that wasn't what shocked Dani. No, _these _snakes had wings. Feathery, ruffled, flapping wings. They hadn't attacked yet, but that didn't mean they wouldn't.

From what Simon knew about snakes, there were only two kinds: strangling ones and venomous ones. He hoped these strange snakes were the strangling kind, or he would have to worry a whole lot more about being bitten by them.

"Think you can hit 'em all?" Simon whispered to Dani through the side of his mouth. She smirked back at him, but beads of sweat slid down her face.

"Of course, _baka-chan_," she said back. "Just don't get in my way, now. I'd stay close to the ground if I were you." Simon nodded and slowly knelt low to the ground. He wondered what Dani would do. He would've burst out laughing at the following scene had it not been so tense.

Putting on a determined stare, Dani moved her arms quickly into an 'X' across her chest then spread them out wide, sending green lightning shooting out in all directions. All Simon could see was Dani waving her arms wildly with a stupid pout hanging on her face.

"Lightning…X!" she roared. The flying snakes convulsed as watts of power surged through their lengthy bodies. Finally, they all descended to the ground, sizzling and smelling faintly of fried chicken. By then, Simon couldn't hold it in any longer. He guffawed with all his worth, filling the morning sky with his laughter.

"What—the—hell—was—that?" he exclaimed between snorts. Tears of mirth formed in the corners of his eyes he was laughing so hard. "Oh—god—that was so funny!"

"What do you mean?" Dani exclaimed furiously. "Honestly, haven't you ever seen anime before? The heroes _always_ shout out their attacks. Stop laughing at me!" She blushed at the end. She turned away quickly. "Anyway, let's get goin', then. It's already morning, isn't it?"

Simon calmed down quickly after that. Nudging one of the sizzled flying snakes, he wondered aloud, "What the hell was this thing?" Noticing Dani had started walking without him, he hastily caught up to her pace. His pack jangled on his shoulder, now much lighter than before.

The night before, they had eaten all of their food. Simon had gone to collect firewood while Dani scouted the area. Seeing that it was secure, they started a small fire. While they talked, the two had gone through their backpacks. They each had two sets of extra clothes, a few snacks, flashlights, bandages, toiletries, and water bottles. In addition, Dani had a few manga volumes and makeup, and Simon had a glasses case. The rest, which was mostly trash, they burned. They left nothing behind.

They stayed at the right side of the road, not wanting to get run over if there were any cars. But their worries were unneeded, as no one passed by them for the next few hours they trudged across the landscape. Off in the distance at one point, they saw a few fields full of crops that had been left unpicked. Cabbages, mostly, but also

"Should we pick—" Dani began.

"No," Simon cut in without a moment of hesitation. "We don' know what could be in there, or if whatever's there's edible. Besides, can't you see those things in there? They don't 'xactly look like normal worms 'ta me."

Indeed, there were creatures sticking out of the dry soil and looked like they had teeth, sharp ones. Dani decided not to retort for once. She stretched and kept walking, trying not to focus on how drenched in sweat she was from the heat.

"Ugh! I feel like Edward Elric on his way to Xerxes through the desert," she mumbled. Simon, of course, had no idea what she was talking about. Dear god, he hoped she wasn't a fan of that ridiculous vampire series. That would be the worst.

Peering into the distance, Simon spotted the lampshade-shaped structures that could only mean a nuclear power plant. That could be bad news. If no one was working there, would the place meltdown? Suddenly, he wasn't so sure going to the town was the best idea.

Past the path leading up to the power plant was another agricultural field with various fruits. Dani looked to Simon, who shook his head. They didn't want to take a chance with the fields if they were full of fanged bugs. But the nuclear power plant held another story.

"There might be someone up there, _baka-chan_," Dani said. She pointed to a winding path up the slope that led to the plant. A chain-link fence surrounded the area and opened at a red-striped gate that could be lifted and stone guardhouse. They hiked up the hills, gazing at yellow wildflowers standing limply nearby. Simon lifted the security gate with both arms, allowing Dani to enter first. She gasped and ran to the edge of the cliff. Simon ran after her.

"Something wrong?" he questioned. Dani just gestured to the view of the ocean. They stood on steep cliff side that dropped down to jagged rocks poking out of a still blue ocean. The sight would be beautiful, if not for the eerie silence that accompanied it.

"That's strange," muttered Simon, "there's no waves. No breeze either…"

"Whoa!" Dani exclaimed. "This is so cool! This would be like the Grand Line if there was less land. I wonder how far the ocean stretches. Hey, is that something in the distance?" Dani chattered incessantly. Simon didn't have the heart to tell her to shut up. Apparently, the girl had never seen the ocean before, and he didn't want to ruin the mood.

Instead, he studied the area around them. For such a dangerous place, there didn't seem to be any guards. Did that mean the adults here disappeared too? Then he spotted a slightly torn shirt stuck a second fence around the buildings. Then he noticed the doors of the plant had opened. Someone else was there. Simon grabbed Dani's hand and pulled her away from the ledge.

"Let's get outta here," he said anxiously. She didn't question him, which he silently thanked her for. After seeing that she would follow, Simon hastily threw her hand away from him. He turned before she could see his face tinged with pink. They briskly walked back to the entrance of the place, both glancing over their shoulders every once in a while. Finally, when they reached the end of the road, Dani spoke.

"What was that all about, _baka-chan_?" she asked. The answer to her question came as a group of five people, four teens and one little boy, came sprinting down from the power plant. What they were running from, neither Dani nor Simon knew. They watched the group's expressions shift from relief to apprehension as they realized they were not alone. Simon noted that there were four boys and one girl.

The first boy of a medium build had tan skin and dirty blonde hair. At first glance, Simon and Dani knew he was a surfer guy. Why else would he have slightly toned muscles and a look that didn't seem to care? He wore a plain t-shirt without a logo and jeans, which wouldn't cause the boy to stand up much, if not for his blue eyes. Dani blushed, and Simon wondered why he cared.

Standing next to this boy was another surfer dude. This one had ever-present creases on his face from smirking often. He wore a pink polo shirt, baggy shorts, army shoes, and a hat nearly as strange as Dani's. Simon immediately thought that this boy was weird. The boy reminded him of Dani, who also wore crazy stuff to get attention. Hopefully, he wasn't as insane as Dani.

The third teenage boy had darker skin than the others, nearly as dark as Dani's faux-tan. He immediately struck the duo as a hidden potential, despite his looks. It was obvious he had Latino heritage, if his tan skin and dark eyes and hair were anything to go by. Dani noticed his hands were rough and worn. Maybe he was a worker?

The final teenager was a girl. Dani immediately disliked the air the girl gave off. The tall girl had natural blond hair and blue eyes. Dani knew she shouldn't judge others so quickly, but the blonde looked at her with wary eyes that distrusted the duo.

A little boy stood with the group, but stared engrossed in a handheld game. He must've been the girl's sister, since he practically stood on her feet. He had a face still round with baby fat, but was pretty for a little boy. Like his sister, he had bleach-blond hair and blue eyes. Simon shuddered as an overpowering 'aura' emitted from the little boy. It stretched away from the boy, as if reaching for something out of its grasp. To put it simply, this child terrified Simon.

"Who are you guys?" the first boy asked, breaking the silence. The second boy shook the first's arm.

"Hey, brah," the second said, "let's just ignore them and get out of here. That girl looks like some crazy cartoon person." He smirked at the last part.

"Whoever they are, they look younger than us," the girl added ignoring the boy's comment. "I don't think we've met before. Are you two from around here? Or do you go to Coates?"

"It'nt surprising that you don't recognize us, blondie," Dani remarked. "We're from up north—" She was cut off by Simon pulling her off to the side.

"Should we really be talkin' to them?" he hissed at her.

"Dunno, _baka-chan_," she replied, "but these are the first people we've seen, and they don't look dangerous. I say we talk to them." Before Simon could voice his own opinion, Dani had already skipped up to the bewildered first boy, who appeared to be their leader. She held out her hand to the first boy and introduced herself. "Name's Dani, Dani Sparks. Nice'ta meet ya!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The first brunette boy, upon grasping her hand, shuddered as static electricity coursed through him. He could feel his hair twinge and stand up, much to the surprise of the others. "I'm Sam Temple," he told the strange girl. Even his own best friend, Quinn, had nothing on her when it came to outlandish appearances.

This girl, who could only be a year or two younger, had skin the color of a cappuccino drink, bright pink lipstick, and dyed blonde hair. Her dark brown eyes curled up just slightly, however. Sam thought it looked fake. And the girl's smile…it was unnerving. Cheerful, yet full of sadness at the same time. The girl's eyes told the same story: she had seen the worst yet was capable of a cheerful façade.

"Um, did you just," the blond girl, Astrid spoke up before editing her words. "Are you wearing a joy buzzer?" Sam looked confused until Quinn, the second boy, snickered and pointed to Sam's static-y hair. The girl, Dani, merely shrugged and smiled mischievously.

"Dunno," she replied with a glint in her eye.

"Oh great," Quinn muttered under his breath, "another weird one." Sam was about to question who the 'other' weird one was, but was interrupted by Astrid.

"I'm Astrid Ellison," she introduced herself. She gestured to Quinn, the third boy, and the little boy. "These are Quinn, Edilio, and my little brother, Little Pete. So who is your friend?"

Dani grinned. "_Baka-chan_ is—"

"We're not friends," the boy called '_baka-chan'_ huffed. This one completely contradicted the girl. While Dani dressed to get attention, this boy wore generic clothing: a white tank under an open plaid shirt, loose-fitting shorts, and tennis shoes. Every once in a while, he would adjust his glasses, which rested in front of his tired eyes. His auburn hair lay messily on his head, and an omnipresent frown was situated on his lips. "Name's Simon. Like she said earlier, we're from up north."

"That's right," Dani added, nodding. "_Baka-chan_ and I were on a school trip with our class when the chaperones just up and disappeared. We…went to look for help." Sam noticed Dani hesitated at the end. Were the two hiding something? He shook his head; he was getting to paranoid.

"That honorific is Japanese, is it not?" Astrid asked. "But 'Sparks' doesn't sound like a Japanese family name." Sam, Quinn, and Edilio stared at Astrid in disbelief. None of them knew what she was talking about. Honorifics? What were those?

"What're you talking about?" Quinn asked her. "Is it another math term you like so much?"

Apparently, Dani _did_ understand.

"Nope, I'm just a good-old old-fashioned _otaku_," she told them.

"Ugh, speak English then," Quinn complained. He jerked his thumb at Edilio. "We don't need another Mexican speaking Spanish."

"_Honduran_," corrected Edilio, giving Quinn the evil eye. Quinn flinched, and Sam sighed at his friend's inability to think before he spoke. "C'mon, man. How hard is it to remember?"

"Yeah, and I'm Chinese, not Japanese, blondie," Dani added. She launched a hand into the air. "Mistaken ethnicities for the win!" Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"Like I said, another weird one," muttered Quinn under his breath. At this point, Sam could only agree. Nothing the girl said or did made any sense. Plus, Sam didn't feel like answering any more questions. All he wanted was to relax on the beach, and maybe catch a few waves with Quinn like he used to. Like Quinn had said, everything was getting out of hand.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Simon tugged on Dani's arm. He was getting more uneasy each moment passing. The little one the group called 'Little Pete' had ceased playing his Gameboy and had gazed at the duo with his semi-glazed eyes. Simon was starting to get freaked out. He wanted to get out of there fast, but at the same time, Dani was the only person he knew, sort of. He may not have known her well, but Dani had an aura that calmed his nerves. In any case, it was time to keep moving.

"Are all of you people so rude?" Simon asked. The blonde Astrid looked ready to retort. "Maybe we shouldn't have left the forest."

"Whoa, whoa there," Quinn stopped him. "You people were living in a forest? You guys have officially made my 'top ten' list of weirdos." Sam decided to interrupt his friend's comments, fortunately, for Dani was about ready to beat the crap out of the surfer if not for Simon holding her back."

"Lemme go, _baka-chan_!" she protested.

"Nope," Simon replied shortly. He looked at the group. "We're gonna get goin' soon. But, I should've asked this earlier…you guys have any idea what's goin' on?" Simon instantly regretted it.

"Well, you see," Astrid began, "around the middle of the day yesterday, everyone above the age of fifteen disappeared. Poofed. Teachers, parents, even students. We were all in school at that time. Of course, without the adults, nearly everyone went wild after that; they raided stores, trashed buildings, and etcetera. There appears to be a giant barrier surrounding the area, which caused lost connections to everyone outside of the barrier. Kids have been calling it the FAYZ.

"What exactly is the FAYZ? Some punk named Howard came up with it. It stands for 'Fallout Alley Youth Zone'. Nearly fifteen years ago, one of the domes of the nuclear power plant was hit by a meteorite."

"A meteorite," Simon repeated, incredulous. He noticed the others in the group had spaced out, probably having heard the story a million times. Astrid nodded.

"Because it was so small and moving at such a high speed, it hit the containment vessel and blew it up. Rather, vaporized it. It hit the reactor and just kept going. Actually, that was a good thing."

"Vaporized it, huh?" Dani grinned. To her, that would've been awesome to see. Just the thought of it reminded her of the numerous battles between anime characters and their laser beams. She wondered if it would've looked like that.

"It drilled into the earth and carried ninety percent of the uranium fuel down with it," Astrid continued. The constant interruptions irked her a bit. "Long story short, they just filled in the whole, paved it over, and rebuilt the reactor. The cause of the FAYZ probably has something to do with that."

"Or it could just be because some god was mad at us," quipped Quinn.

"I think you've said enough, man," Edilio cautioned. He turned to Dani and smiled at her wearily. "Are you two headed to town? We could go with you guys."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Simon answered for Dani. He began to walk towards the highway again. To Dani, he called over his shoulder, "Let's go!"

"Comin'!" she shouted back. She bowed curtly to the group before her, a Cheshire grin wide on her face. "I guess we'll see ya later, then! Bye-bi~!" Catching up to Simon, Dani took in the bewildered expressions on the faces of three people behind her. It was so much fun to mess with people, she thought.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Those guys were interestin', ne?" she asked Simon a few minutes later. He snorted.

"Interesting? More like crazy," he replied. "Did you see that kid they had with 'em?" Simon shuddered. "He was somethin' else. Maybe even crazier than you."

"Weren't you the one complaining about their remarks before?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Dani and Simon passed the second agricultural area some time later. Up ahead, past the straight highway, they noticed more trees, signs they were getting closer to the town. By now, the duo's stomachs were rumbling. Neither had had any food since the day before. Simon grimaced at the low grumble their stomachs complained. To keep his mind off of it, he thought about what Astrid had told them. Everyone above the age of fifteen. He was only thirteen, and his birthday wasn't until later in the year, so he had time. But what happened to those above the age limit?

"Hey, Dani," he said. "How old are you?" He immediately got cuffed lightly on the head. "What the hell was that for?"

"You're never supposed to ask a woman's age, _baka-chan_!" she cried, pouting her pink lips.

"That's only for _older_ women, you idiot!" he growled back sourly. He rubbed the spot she'd hit. "I'm serious, though. If it makes you feel any better, though, I'm thirteen, fourteen on February fourth."

"_Hontoni_? Seriously, _baka-chan_?" Dani exclaimed. "Mine's on the thirteenth, one day before Valentine's Day." An awkward silence followed; neither of the two knew what to say next. They kept to the right side of the road as a large academy on a hill came into view. A highway sign notified them that it was Coate's Academy. Dani snickered at the name. Simon didn't think she should be laughing. After all, her last name was 'Sparks'.

Glancing up at the school, though, Simon thought he saw a large group of people strutting around as if they were in a parade. From where he was standing, however, he couldn't tell whether they were teenagers like them or adults. Surrounding the group was a dark 'aura', Simon noticed, and he got the feeling that those people were dangerous. Wait, aura?

Shaking his head, he focused on the town that was sprouting at the horizon. It was a pretty small town, he quickly realized, and hills on the north side of the highway limited the town to a constricted space. Rows of paneled houses lined the streets not far off, and cacti and swaying palm trees bordered the streets. Cliffs jutted out over scattered beaches, which looked more like a desert than a beach. Most of the houses the two saw were well-kept and fenced, the buildings themselves constructed in Spanish-style bungalows with sloped tile roofs. Yet, nothing truly stood out – it was just another small-town.

Simon and Dani neared a small grocery store, where carts barricaded the doors as a weak defensive line. Trash swept across the parking lot, where cars still lingered. Some had crashed into the brick building Near the automatic sliding doors, eyes peered out at the two strangers. The duo chose not to investigate, but headed where they noticed other kids walking – Town Square.

As they walked, local kids stared at them. Simon was sure that in such a small town, everyone would know everybody else, so new faces would be rare. He and Dani strolled down one avenue after another, taking in the sights, which wasn't much. Only a few businesses caught their eye: a hardware store; a McDonald's near the Town Hall; a small coffee shop with a terrible pun; and other stores.

The closer to the central plaza Simon and Dani got, the more kids they encountered, crowding and milling about as if none of them knew where to go. And they probably didn't. An apartment building, still smoking slightly, grabbed the duo's focus. Half of it had burned away, and the collapsed roof had taken out much of the upper floors. The buildings around it were luckier.

"What do you think happened there?" Simon asked. It was obvious what had happened, but Dani knew the boy was asking whether she thought it was an accident or intentional. She chose a third option.

"Dunno," she answered. Then she saw a mound of dirt in the plaza's park, a makeshift cross poking out of the soil. She turned away and studied the place.

The plaza was tiny and had an old, rundown fountain half full of water. A few benches and brick sidewalks led to the top of the square, where a plain-looking town hall and church sat juxtaposed. Dani wilted a little when she noticed groups of kids huddled on every bench, making tents from sheets. Earlier, she had seen the lights on in few of the houses. Everyone wanted to be outside with others, it seemed.

"So this is what we came for?" she murmured. Simon couldn't tell if she was disappointed at the sight or just glad that there were others here. Personally, he only wanted to find a place to rest.

"Yep," he replied, "welcome to Perdido Beach."

* * *

A/N: I hope none of the characters are too OOC, but it's kind of hard to write them in the beginning because none of them have specific voices (e.g. verbal tics, accents). If there's anything wrong with the information or you just don't like something, please tell me in a review.

Thank you for reading.


End file.
